Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Robert just got news from his boss yesterday that he would now only be able to pay Robert by the hour. Prior to this, Robert was salaried at 40 hours a week. It's understandable with so many clients canceling and decreasing their service because of the economic state. But, that's not good news for us since Robert only has about 25 hours of work a week now. There is no way we can survive on that. I imagine Ed & Jessie feel terrible about it. When Robert first got hired, we were living in the projects practically. Then we moved into a little bit better place, and now we live in the 3br duplex with a yard. It must have made his boss proud to be able to contribute to our quality of life and be mostly responsible for our American dream in action. Robert is such a hard worker, and Ed is so generous that Robert started at $4 less an hour than he makes now.

We looked on Oregon's Employment Department website to see if either of us could find work, as we cannot survive on the hourly salary. I found for myself Corrections Officer Trainee. That means I'd be working at the county jail in Hillsboro. No college education necessary. And, since I have my unarmed officer license already, maybe they'd be more likely to hire me. I REALLY want that job. Only problem is the written exam and physical fitness test isn't until March 14. I'm not sure if we can wait that long for a job I might not even get. If Robert can't find work first though, the deadline to turn in an application isn't until February. Government job means excellent benefits though.

I was also thinking of applying at Guardsmark. More than likely, I'd work near downtown Portland, so we'd have to move closer to the city again. Guardsmark pays about a dollar more an hour than Robert made. They also offer FREE benefits, so it probably wouldn't cost too much more to add Robert and the kids.

Robert found another Exterminator position in Salem. That's really far, so we would move there probably. It doesn't list what they pay, so I wonder if that means the pay is lousy. Robert would have to make at least how much he makes now.`But, it shouldn't be too bad because they require the employee to have experience and to already have the pesticide applicator's license. He really likes the line of work he is in. It's really good for him because it's not strenuous but it's still active and not boring.

So, please pray for us. The decrease in pay begins next week, so this Friday's check (the rent check) will be a full one, but the one after that won't be. I'm thinking Robert should ask Jessie, his boss' wife if she can try to work on his W-2 as soon as she can in January, so we can get our tax return as soon as we can. Or, maybe Obama will be able to get that stimulus check through like he wants to. I'm really scared though, that we won't be able to make it to then.

I'm really hoping I get a job first, so Robert can stay at home and go to school part time. School is just not for me. You know what else that means? No more doing dishes for me! I'm sure I would still cook though. I'm not a big fan of chard well done. LOL!

Sunday, December 28, 2008

I put a new perk on tonight called Sleight of Hand, makes you reload faster. Also put the Aim perk on, and look what happened! I haven't had a score like that since COD:UO!

Also got our first recruit tonight. His "name" is Sefh. He's been playing on our server since we set it up I think. Anyway, he seems nice and he plays often. And, he's not a camper so that's good. Yup, I had been trying to ask him to join our clan, but I think sometimes he's concentrating in game so much that he doesn't see what people type to him. So, finally tonight he saw what I asked. :)

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

I've had a few friends ask me what is so amazing about what I can do with Rice A Roni, so I thought I would post my recipes (add-ins).

When you buy box food, most of them have add-in ideas, but for whatever reason Rice A Roni doesn't. So, I came up with some myself. You only have to use one large pan with a lid. I sometimes add more rice and more liquid to make it stretch further. So, if you add a 1/2 cup of extra rice, add 1 cup of extra liquid. Sometimes, I use less meat and just cut it up into smaller pieces to make it stretch further too.

The brocolli cheese flavor:-One box of brocolli cheese Rice A Roni-One or two chicken breasts-Two handlfulls of frozen brocolli-1/2 cup or so of grated cheese like jack, colby jack or cheddar-Appropriate spices like garlic powder and onion powder

Brown the rice in butter as directed on the box, then add the cut up seasoned chicken. The chicken doesn't have to cook all the way now because it will be simmering in water for 20-25 minutes, so it will be cooked by then. Add the amount of water the box says to with the package of Rice a Roni seasoning and cook like it says to. After 15 minutes add the frozen brocolli. When it's done put the cheese on top, remove from heat and leave the lid on a few minutes.

The mushroom something flavor (forgot the full name of it):-One box of Mushroom something Rice A Roni-Half a small onion, diced-Two cloves of garlic-A lot of sliced mushrooms-A lot of cooked crumbled bacon

Cook bacon, remove from pan and set aside somewhere your husband won't find it. Sautee the mushrooms, onion and garlic in the leftover bacon grease. When that's almost done, brown the rice in that pan with the sautee. Follow the directions on the box.

The fried rice flavor:-One box of Fried Rice flavored Rice A Roni-One or two chicken breasts or pork chops, cut into bite size pieces-Two handfulls of frozen stirfry veggies like brocolli, peas, bell pepper, onion, those crunchy weird white things, grean beans, or whatever frozen veggies you have in the freezer-Some kind of Chinese sauce that you enjoy, like general tsao or kung pao or teriyaki

Brown the rice and meat at the same time (if you have fresh garlic and onion, cook it with the rice and meat). Add some of your Chinese sauce, then follow the directions on the box. After 15 minutes add the frozen veggies and continue cooking the rest of the recommended amount of time.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Guess what? Me and Robert are starting our own clan and server again! We did once before when we first became BF & GF, and it was so much fun leading a clan. We make the rules, we mod the servers, and we decide who can and cannot be in our clan.

This month is a three-paycheck month, and we weren't planning on going overboard for Christmas, so it works out really nicely. I'm so happy the money can be spent on something Robert and I can do together as a team. This will be really good for our marriage, a hobby we can do together. Exercising our leadership skills, creativity, his knowledge and my prudence.

So, if you're looking for a good game on Call of Duty: World at War, look us up. We are The Northwest Soldiers Clan.

Friday, November 21, 2008

"We're all travelers in this world. From the sweet grass to the packing house. Birth 'til death. We travel between the eternities." -Prentice Ritter (Robert Duvall)

A lot of blogs are snippets of the writers lives, and most writers include that in their blog title.

Sweet grass is new life, new growth like birth. And, the packing house is where livestock is butchered and processed, like death. So, this is my life, traveling between the eternities.

This has to be one of my favorite movies. The first time I watched it was at my dad's house. I think we watched it OnDemand.

Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church play a couple of cowboys wanting to get livestock to Montana to sell it. Along the way, they discover young Chinese sisters are being sold as sex slaves. The two cowboys kill the guy who is transporting the Chinese girls after he attempted to rape one of the girls. Prentice and Tom soon are taking the girls with them on the open range. It shows the unforgiving conditions of the open range and the struggles the girls and two men have to go through to make it to Montana.

If you ever get a chance to watch Broken Trail, you should check it out. One of my favs!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

My dear friend, Melissa got us some free passes from her library for the Children's Museum in Portland, right next to the zoo. We took Timmy, Jimmy, her son Damien and Zoey, a little girl Melissa babysits on Tuesday. The kids had so much fun, and they were perfect angels almost the whole time.

The museum is such a great place for young kids and toddlers. They had a mini-pretend grocery store, doctor's office, construction site, plumbers room. They had an awesome water room that had a lot of water activities for the youngins. They even provided cute little smocks that really only prevented water from getting on their chest and belly. They had face paints, a stage with dress-up, art rooms, a music room with drums, a xylephone and other cool stuff.

As you can see, Timmy is having so much fun in the water room. He was splashing, pumping water, turning wheels to make the water SPLASH!

Jimmy had a lot of fun on the stairs that were near the stage. He kept climbing up and scooting down backward.

Timmy "moving earth".

Jimmy fascinated with the water fountain in the water room.

All the kids had so much fun. I would so love to go there again and with Robert. It's $8 per person over the age of 1 to get in, very expensive. I wish we could go all the time!

Friday, September 26, 2008

1. Post the rules on your blog2. Write 6 random things about yourself3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post

6 Random Things:

1. Like Sandy, I cover my head too in accordance with 1Corinthians 11.

2. I named my children so their names would rhyme. If we have more, I would conitnue to try to make their names rhyme. Timmy, Jimmy, Vinny, Lynnie, Minnie, etc.

3. I can do amazing things with a box of Rice A Roni.

4. I can still remember my very first phone number.

5. I wanted to be an ice cream man when I was little.

6. Long story....One time (I think in 2003), coming back to Portland from San Francisco for Christmas by myself (very easy 10 hour drive I did many times alone), I got stuck on the pass at the OR/CA border for 18 hours. It was snowing, and everyone stopped. They closed I-5 for 18 hours because big rigs were jackknifing down the hill. We all sat in our cars. One man died of a heart attack up there, and another woman got picked up by a helicopter because she was going into diabetic shock. And, because I wasn't planning on getting out of the car in that area, and I had just gotten back from CA, I only had FLIPFLOPS on! I was planning to get drive-thru Taco Bell in Medford, the next town, and I was sooo hungry! I accidentally peed my only pair of pants up there, and I had a cold. I found some nice ladies with blankets, and we blocked everyone's view while each of us took turns peeing in the middle of the freeway. After 18 hours, they turned us back around to CA to go back to Yreka and Weed, where there were no vacancies in motels, so I slept in a Baptist church. I finally made it home in Portland where there was more snow than there was in 8 years. I lived on a hill, and couldn't drive anywhere because it also rained then froze! I survived those 5 days on Pepsi and Doritoes from the Shell station that I walked to in Sketchers sneakers, jeans and 50 sweaters. Not a big fan of snow anymore. Needless to say, I don't travel by car in the winter to California.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

About a week ago, I reinstalled COD2 on my computer to begin playing again. I had been taking a break since it was so hard to be able to play it with my little ones. I applied at Robert's clan, http://pmcod.com/ as Mrs. X since Robert's latest name is Xterminator. I'm glad they accepted me. They really are a bunch of great guys and girls. A friend from the last clan I was in is also a member there. My scored are looking pretty pathetic though--29 kills 56 deaths, 35 kills 62 deaths.

I really used to kick butt back in the day. This is a screenshot from an old game when Robert and I were with =MGX=.

My game really suffered when I went from a CRT to an LCD screen. I'm not exactly sure why that is, but I've heard of it happening with other players.

Another issue is my ping on the Project Mayhem server, it's close to 100 because they are out of Chicago, rather than LA. Also my video card is not really up to par. I'm confident that with a new video card when we get our tax return, I will once again pwn other players.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Yep, that's right. My big boy Timmy peed in the potty. I have been trying for months to get him to pee in there, but he wouldn't sit there long enough to pee, and my timing must have been off.

I went to library to try to get a book I've been wanting, and ended up looking in the kids' videos section and found Once Upon A Potty-For Him. So, I brought it home and we watched it together with my input. Then I brought his potty out (with apple juice in it, Timmy didn't know) and I put Elmo on the potty and asked him to pee. Then I showed Timmy what Elmo "did". Then we flushed it away and rinsed it out. I put Timmy on the potty with no diaper and replayed the video. It was about halfway over, when I put Timmy's hand in warm water, and then he peed! I was so excited, and so was Timmy. I put big boy underwear on him later in the day which he had an accident in, but he peed in the potty three times that day. I'm so proud of my big boy!

I am cleaning my house because I want it to be clean, not just because it's in my job description. I've not been as short with my kids as I had been in my sleep-deprived, wanting-my-body-back state. I've been more patient with my hubby. I have the energy to run an arrand AND take my kids to the playground in the same day. Even pushing that giant double stroller across the uneven sometimes wet grass doesn't get me. I've even got other serious issues in my life which would otherwise be the end of the world practically. But, I cannot let other people's actions affect me in my happy Levity bubble.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Another fond memory was joining Sea Scouts with my dad when I was 13ish. My dad was in Sea Scouts when he was a kid too. Me and dad would get up early on Saturday mornings and head over to the sea scout base at Aquatic Park in San Francisco. (The picture is not of the sea scout base, but one of the many beautiful views from the San Francisco bay. It might be the Dolphin Club where crazy old people would put Vaseline all over their bodies and swim in the REALLY cold water.) The sailboat we all had was The Intrepid. I learned how to tie knots, watercraft safety and to be a crew member of a sailboat. I had never felt so impressed with myself than I did back then. Sometimes, when we'd break for lunch or after scouts, me and dad would walk to Fishermen's Wharf to eat and do the tourist thing. I had my very first encounter with The Bushman there.

What I learned from my dad and our skipper, Chris were invaluable skills which I have put into practice on other boats at other times in my life.

Friday, June 27, 2008

One of the benefits of having a close extended family was the burden of providing a rich life for me was not completely on my mom's shoulders. My grandpa (who died in 2003) used to take me camping every summer for a few weeks at a time. The picture is of Butt Lake Resevior, where my family camped every year since way before I was born. Many times I'd get to take my friends (almost cousins) Lizzie and Rosie. We would ride our bikes for hours only returning to camp to eat and check in with Grandpa. If we weren't biking, we swam in the warm water of the lake, and jump into it from a rope swing. I think the only times we weren't in our bathing suits was after dark when the mosquitoes came out. Grandpa would take us fishing, boating and on motorcycle rides on his old Honda 60. When we would drive into Chester to go to the laundromat, we often got an ice cream at The Pine Shack Frosty. If we were lucky, Grandpa would let us ride in the back of the camper on the way. When I remember my Grandpa, I picture him sitting under a shade tree, with a Pepsi in one hand, and a Lucky Strike in the other keeping an eye on me while I swim in the lake. Good times...

Thursday, June 26, 2008

My mom and I were talking the other day, and she was saying how she felt bad because she feels I missed out on a lot of things when I as a kid. I asked her, "Like what?" She said she didn't know but she wishes we would have had more money.

Money is not the key to a rich life. Having family that loves you is much more important. Making memories doesn't require much money, if any.

I have very fond memories of my mom taking me to Dolores Park (see picture above). We would pack up a picnic lunch, a blanket, jump on MUNI and head over there where I spent the whole afternoon swinging on the swings and getting blisters from the monkey bars. Mom would watch me from a shade tree for the gazillionth time when I would yell "Mom, watch this!" and flip upsidedown from the high monkey bars. On the way home, we sometimes would stop at West Coast Video where mom's boyfriend worked (and still works) and pick up a tape to watch.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

3 bedroom, 2 bathroom duplex with a carport on the north side of Newberg for only $120 more a month than we're paying for our 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment with no yard. The new place is sooo much better. The kitchen is slightly bigger with many more cupboards. The dining is separate from the living room, and it is lenoleum. There are larger windows. We share a backyard and front yard with a neighbor. The only drawback is that they aren't completly fenced in, but it will be so nice to not have to get the kids completely dressed to play outside. If Timmy needs to play outside, all I have to do is throw on a robe and put some sneakers on him. Jimmy will have his own room until he sleeps through the night, then he can share with his big brother. Snoring and rolling over will no longer wake him up! And, then we'll finally have our family room with our computers and the kids' toys. The living room will actually look like a living room, not an office/playroom. This place is worth my time in decorating. Robert will have his tomatoes and peppers in our yard, not in my parking space. And, I might even get ambitious and plant some stuff myself. The management mows the yards too, which is good because we don't own a lawnmower or hedge trimmers. We will no longer have parking space BBQs, they will be backyard BBQs complete with patio furniture. Timmy can jump off the couch until his little heart content because no one is below us. Our downstars neighbors will rejoice! Nothing will remind me of smoking because I have never smoked there. There is a little church a few blocks away I'm hoping to check out too. God is so good! First Robert got a substantial raise then we move into a house! How can it get any better?

Friday, May 16, 2008

Last night's dream was pretty weird and stressfull. I dreamed I was a waitress on my first day. The restaurant looked like some small town dump. The walls peeling, tables needed refinishing. For whatever reason the boss gave me a party of 20 table on my first day. I went around and got thir orders for drinks and rushed into the kitchen to get them. I didn't know anyone in this dream, I didn't recognixe anyone including y fellow waitresses. For whatever reason we didn't have a fountain at the restaurant, we used two-liters for pop. So, I went into the fridge to get them but there were none left. It seemed like it took hours for me to find these two liters. The other waitresses were tryin to help me get the drinks and then we finally found some two-liters. So, I ran out and back and forth to bring the drinks but it had already been an hour, and then when I came back into the kitchen Gordon Ramsay showed up our of nowhere and started cussing at me saying I couldn't even get the drinks out to them on time, and he was throwing two liters around, so by the time I got back out there, that party left! They l;eft a penny ont he table for me. So, I went back into the kitchen and my boss was in there and he and Chef Ramsay were juggling two liters bac and forth like a circus act, and all of a sudden I was in a clown costume. All the waitresses and my boss and Chef Ramsay were looking at me and laughing, and I realized I peed my pants, and then I woke up.

I don't know what's up with the circus stuff in my dream. But, me and hubby do watch Hell's Kitchen, so that's probably how Gordon Ramsay ended up in my dream.

I've never had dreams this vivid before except when I was a little kid.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Last nights dream was pretty cool. I dreamed that I was an entertainer on a cruise ship. But, the cruise ship was in port. I was like a dancing clown sort of, but kinda like a fly girl at the same time. When we were practicing a performance, a recruiter came and we all auditioned for fame. They needed 20 people for a music video. It was kinda set up like American Idol except we all danced at once and then some would get kicked off and the rest would stay. I remember feeling worried about Jimmy and Timmy if I got famous and who would watch them. I don't even remember who was babysitting Jimmy on the ship, but I remember he was there on the ship and Timmy was at home with Robert. Out of 100 people 50 made it to the next round, and I was one of them. Our boat left and went to Germany or Austria or someplace around there. I made it to the third round of 25 people. I didn't make it to the forth round, but the recruiter offered me a full scholarship to a school of dance. We started back home, and then I finally saw Jimmy in the dream. I still don't know who it was babysitting him, but he was a brand new baby in my dream like a month old. Then I woke up. The weird thing about that dream is that I haven't done any organized dance (except line dancing and two-step) since 2002. I wasn't even really good...I got an A in the class, but I definitely wasn't the best in the class, so I'm not exactly sure I landed that job on the cruise ship as a clown/dancer. LOL

Saturday, May 10, 2008

I'm feeling pretty depressed today. I feel like I lost an old friend. I miss you. We had so many good times together. And, now you're gone. The best years of my life were spent with you and the Marlboro cowboy. You were with me through thick and thin. People let me down, but you never did.

I'm sorry to say that we can never see each other again. I'm moving on to bigger and better things. I'm relying on God. Like you, He never lets me down, but He'll never give me cancer like you would have eventually.

I'm sure you understand that my family and faith are important to me, so please don't call on me anymore. Goodbye old friend. You will truly be missed.

Sincerely,Christina-------------------------------I'm not actually craving a cigarette, just the habit I guess. I'm so thankful for these patches because I couldn't imagine how I'd feel craving nicotine and the habit at the same time. I do feel pretty depressed though. I'm hoping this goes away soon. Ecverything is making me cry. Maybe I'll pick up some b vitamins or something.

Last night me and hubby said goodbye to cigarettes. We broke up the last two we had leftover. I will miss them. They have been there for me for 11 years. Mostly they've just caused me problems, but I still feel like I lost a good friend. Kinda strange. I woke up like an hour ago, so I don't feel too bad yet.-----------------------------

Both me and hubby put the patch .. bed, and I had some vivid dreams (a common side affect of sleeping with the patch on). I only remember one dream. But, I was walking in the desert with Moses (yeah, THE Moses who God used to free the Isrealites from the Egyptians). We were talking about illegal immigration. I don't really remember what was said totally. We came to a cave where we were going to rest and catch some shade, and Osama Bin Laden was in there. He was almost dead from thirst/starvation. So, we gave him some Gatorade and beef jerky. Moses was wearing my high school purple leopard print backpack. That's where he got the Gatorade and beef jerky from. Osama spoke English (and so did Moses). Osama asked me why we gave him the drink and food, and then Jimmy woke me up. Kinda weird.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Don't get me wrong...I'm not questioning my faith. I believe every word of the Bible is "God breathed". I believe Jesus was brought to earth by his Father ([i]The[/i] God) to teach us the truth and to die for our sins. I believe we are saved by God's grace, and I believe faith without works is dead. However, I am questioning the Trinity. Not sure if I'm even supposed to capitalize it. I don't really know where in the Bible I can find proof of the Trinity, and I am amazed at how many people blindly follow this doctrine. Maybe not blindly, but with more proof of it not existing than proof of it existing. Everywhere I read in the NT thr writers (inspired by God) imply they are all separate. Even in verses not directly saying they are separate.

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

1 Corinthians 11:3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

Matthew 16:13-1813 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

Sounds separate to me. God is God, The Almighty, The Creator of all things, The Alpha and the Omega. Jesus is the son OF God. The Holy Spirit is the spirit OF God living within us. All sounds separate.Does this mean I'm not saved? I don't think so. Jesus said that if we believe in him that we shall have everlasting life.

Intersting findings:

The Trinity doctrine is not taught anywhere in scripture, but trinities were common in Paganism and were prominent in Egypt and Babylon.The beginnings of recognition of this doctrine started at the Council of Nicea approximately 325 AD. Hundreds of years after the last book in the Bible was written.The Council of Nicea was organized by the Roman Emperor Constantine and he had the final say on matters that he had little understanding of.Creed followed creed, and eventually idols were accepted as forms that we can worship God through, and Mary was exalted to be the Mother of God and worship of the saints was sanctioned.The organized church was built on top of these creeds. The creeds were and are the foundation for many of today's churches/denominations. These denominations are different to the Body of Christ spoken of in the scriptures. This shows us that most denominations are still rooted in a creed and in particular the Trinity doctrine. Most denominations still have the Trinity doctrine as a foundation and this doctrine originally came from Babylon.The mother of these denominations the Roman Catholic Church murdered approximately 50 million people, had armies and banned access to scripture to Christians. This time is known today as the Dark Ages.Some relief came during the Reformation where the teachings and authority of the Catholic Church were challenged. The Reformation restored many truths back to the Body of Christ.As a result many new denominations started up and unfortunately they held onto some of the creeds and in particular the Trinity doctrine.